Type-writing machine.



J. H. BARR. TYPE'WBITING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

1,013,920. 1 Patented Jan 9, 1912. V

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

v "n V h v y -1%? WI7NESSE8: INVENTOII? X 75 BY '9 I 'i M! ATTORNEY J. H. BARR.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

-APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 2'7, 1907. I 1,01 3,920. Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES. l/Vl/E/VTOR iu/m /7Q By J. H. BARR. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1901.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

3 SHBETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES.-

ATIO M/EV 1' UNITED str r s PATENT OFFICE.

was H. BARR, or syancosn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE SMITH PREMIER TYPE- wnIrEn ooinranr, OF SYRACUSE, NEW man, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed September 27, 1907. Serial No. 394,854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BARR, citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Vilriting Machines of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and it. has for its principal objectto provide an improved type action for a frontstrike or visible typewriter. I have provided a type action in which the touch on the keys is soft or easy at the first part of the stroke and in which the type bar moves to the printing point with a continuously accelerated velocity. The type action is also of such a nature that when any type bar returns to normal position it is locked against rebound from the type rest.

A further object of my invention is to provide a construction which enables a large number of type actions to be assembled in a machine of. standard size without conflict. I

To the above and other ends which will hereinafter appear, my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts, all of which will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front to rear vertical sectional view of a typew'riting machine having my invention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section with parts removed, the section being taken just at the rear ofthe type barsegments and type bar actuating mechanism and looking toward the front of the machine. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the platen and two type actions, parts of the framework of the typewriting machine being shown in section.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a part of the sub-lever segment. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the sub-levers. Figs. 6 and 7. are a top view and a bottom view respectively of a key-arresting pad.

In the drawings, I have shown only so muchof the typewriting machine as is necssary to illustrate the application of my invention thereto.

My invention is applicable to various styles of typewriting machines but I have here shown it applied to a front-strike typewriter having a full keyboard and a separate type bar for each type. The main frame of this machine comprises side plates 1 each having formed integral therewith corner posts 2 which are connected near their upper ends by tie bars 3 extending fore and aft of the machine. The posts 2 support a top plate 4 from which risestandards 5 which support a stationary carriage rail 6 at an inclination upward and toward the rear of the machine. Said rail has grooves in its upper and lower edges in which run antifriction balls orrollers 7 which cooperate with grooved rails 8 of the paper carriage. Said carriage also comprises end pieces in which are supported the shaft 11 of a roller platen 12.

-The type bars are divided into two sets,

one set of short type bars 13 and the other of longer type bars 14 mounted respectively on segments 15 and 16, which segments are secured at their ends to bosses 17 depending from the top plate 4, as shown in Fig. 2. The type bars 13 alternate with the type bars 14 and each of said type bars 13 and 14 carries at its free end a single type 18. The segment 15 is above and a little nearer the rear of,the machine than the segment 16 and each of said segments is formed with a series of peripheral V-grooves, one groove for each of the type bars. In said grooves there run anti-friction balls 19, said balls running also in V-grooves formed in the heels of the type bars by rings 20 threaded into said type bars. Each of said type bars is formed at itspivotal end with a strap 21 which surrounds the rings 20 and which is split through at 22, the split ends of'the strap being connected by a tightening screw This form of type bar bearing is not claimed in the present application but is claimed in my. pending application, Serial No; 2503-14, filed March 16th, 1905.

The two sets of type bars mounted and features of the top plate are not of my 32 of a bell crank, the other arm 33 of which has pivoted thereto at 34 the forward end of a pull link 35, the rear end of which is' pivoted at 36 to a sub-lever 37 The keys 28 are arranged in transverse and longitudinal rows, and the bell cranks 32, 33 are pivoted on frame rods 40 that extend transversely of the machine and are suitably supported. The sub-levers 37 are mounted on a sub-lever segment 41 which is of greater radius than the type bar segments and which is secured at its ends to the under side of the top plate 4. As best shown in Fig. 4 said sub-lever segment has along its rear edge a series of radial slots '42 in which the sub-levers 37 are guided and said sub-lever segment has also a longitudinally extending slot 43 in which there is seated a pivot wire 44 on which the sub-levers are pivoted by means of a slot 45 (Fig. 5) cut in each sub-lever and open at its forward end. In order to prevent accidental displacement of the sublevers from the pivot wire, each of the slots 45 has in its upper edge a notch 46 that is adapted to catch on the wire. in case of anything tending to push the sub-lever toward the rear of the machine. A sub-lever pivoted in this manner and having such a notch as that just described is not claimed in this application but is claimed in my pending :Qapplication, Serial No. 262,395, filed May ?26th, 1905. Each of the sub-levers normally stands 1 approximately radial of the sub-lever segment 41 and at its upper end each sub-lever is pivoted at 49 to an actuating rod, beam or lever 50 which extends nearly horizontally fore and aft of the machine, and when -said sub-lever is operated, the-rod or lever 50 has an endwise motion. Means are provided for guiding the forward part of said 50 rod or lever, and as shown in the present instance, this means consists of a stationary part across or through which the rod or lever slides. At some distance in front of the pivot point 49 the rod 50 passes loosely through one of a series of suitable openings ":51 in a flange forming part of an angled bar gor plate 52 which is suitably secured to the framework of the machine. As shown in the present instance this angled bar is se- ""cured to the trough 25 of the type rest 24.

Each of the sliding rods or levers 50 ex- -;tends toward the rear of the machine from thepivot point 49 and at its rear end at 53 ihas pivotedthereto a radially disposed link "'54, the opposite end of which is pivoted at same radial plane in which the associated type bar moves so that there is no lateral or side strain upon the parts. The construction is such that when a key is depressed the link 35 draws the sub-lever 37 toward the front of the machine as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. The rod 50 is thus caused 0 to slide through the flange 51, the point 49 describing the arc of acircle about the pivot wire 44 as a center. The rear end 53 of the sliding rod v50 is thus caused to describe a curve which is approximately the arc of an ellipse, said point moving first toward the frontof the machine and then radially away from the printing point to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. As the link 54 when in its'normal position is approximately. radial and as the first part of the motion of the point 53 is approximately directly toward the front of the machine, the first part of the motion of said link 54 consists chiefly of a rotation of said link about 95 the point 55 as ,a center so that during the first instant of the depression of the key there is but little motion imparted to the type bar. The velocity of the type bar as it swings to the printing point is, however, continuously accelerated, due in part to the fact that the direction of motion of the point 53 becomes more and more nearly radial of the type bar segment. The acceleration of the type bar is, however, due partlyto other portions of the type action, For example, when the parts are in normal. position the link 35 is nearly at right angles to the sublever 37 but during the depression of the key the angle between this link and the sub lever becomes more and more obtuse until atthe end of the stroke as shown-by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the lever arm of the link 35 on the" sub-lever has been considerably shortened. Moreover, when the parts are-in normal position the angle between the link 35 and the bell-crank arm 33 is an obtuse angle .and at the end ofthe stroke this angle is nearly a right angle so that the linkif35 itself moves with a somewhat accelerated velocity with relation to the bellcrank 32, 33. Furthermore, the rod 50 acts as a lever of the third order, the lever arms of which shorten throughout the stroke 'as the rod is projected through its guide, so that the lever 37 acts on the'i'link 54 with a decreasing leverage. It will; thus be seen that in the. first part of the stroke the-bell crank 32, 33 has its greatest leverage on the link '35; said link 35 is acting at about its greatest leverage on the sub-lever and said sub-lever 37 has a very.

high leverage on the type bar so that in the first part-o the stroke the touchis very soft or easy'; whereas"in thelatter part of the stroke the leverage of the bell crank on the link, 35 hasdiminished, the leverage of this link onthe sub-lever 37 has diminished, and

the leverage of the sub-lever on the type bar has very greatly diminished.

,The amount or degree of acceleration of the type bar may be varied in this type action in a number of ways. For example,

said acceleration may be varied by varying the angle at which the arm 33 of the bell cranknormally stands and also by varying the normal angle between the link 35. and the sub-lever 37. The acceleration may also 7 be varied by varying the distance between the points 49 and 53 at which the sub-lever ,and the type bar link are respectively pivoted tov /the sliding rod 50. It will be seen that iyi this type action the short t pe -ba-rsl3 haveto turn through a consider-a ly greater angle than the long type bars 14 and in order to maintain the dip of the keys I uniform for both sorts of type bars I have placed the point 53 of the-sliding rods 50 which. actuate the short type bars farther toward the rear of the machine than the corresponding points in the actions of the longer type bars. It will be perceived that ,duringthe latter part of the stroke of the key this sliding rod in addition to its sliding motion is acting as a lever of the third order, the flange 51 being the fulcrum and the power and the load being applied respectively at the points 49 and 53. By making the lever-arm'49, 53 longer, the point 53 .is causedtomove through a greater distance in a radial direction so that the shorter type bars are thrown to the printing point with the same extent of key depression as the longer type. bars. shorter type bars are moved with a greater angular acceleration than the longer ones.

In other words, the

This is permissible in the case of these type bars because they are lighter than-the longer type bars and this high acceleration may be imparted tothem without any greater ex-- penditure of force on the key than is required to actuate the long type bars with azgless degree of acceleration.

It will be perceived that the point 55 at which the link 54 is connected to one ofthe type bars moves gradially away. from the.

.prmtingpoint and als0,-in, the latter part o f, the; stroke, moves toward thefront of the v machine, this motion toward the front of the .machine being greater in the case of the shorter'type barszon account of the fact that these type bars turn' through a greater angle than. the longer ones. The type action hereinjdescribed is'peculiarly adapted to aitype ,barthat has to ,turn through more than 90 for the reason tliat the lowerend 53 of the link54" is also caused to move towardthe '1. front of the machine, thus maintaining a good leverage on the type bar during the whole of its stroke; that is to say, the" link 54 does not come to a'dead center.

In order to return the type bar and key to normal position I provide a series of restoring springs 58, one for each type bar and its actuating devices. This spring lies beneath the sub-lever segment 41 and is'connected at its rear end with a hook 59 formed on the sub-lever 37 below the pivot point of said sub-lever, and said spring is connected at its forward end to one of a series of hooks 60 projecting from the edge of a plate 61 which is secured to the front face or edge of the segment 41. Each hook 59, when the parts are in normal position, stands a considerable distance in front of the pivot wire 44 and when the parts are inoperated po-.

sition said hook stands about opposite to said wire or. the rear thereof, the constructionbeing such that the spring 58 has its maximum leverage on the sub-lever at about the time when the type bar is at the printing point. This construction affords a lively acrod or lever 50 that passesthroughthe bar 52 round in cross section and to make the rear part of said rod or lever of flat stock. To this end theforward section 63 of this lever is made of a piece of round rod or wire which is connected to the rear section by ears 64 of the sheet metal of which said rear section is formed, said ears being folded over the flattened end of the section 63 as shown in Fig. 3, wherebythe two sections are securely fastened together.

'It will be perceived that the sliding rod or lever 50 acts when in operation as a lever of the third order, but that said lever slides through its stationary fulcrum so that the effective lengths of the lever arms vary during the printing stroke, said lever arms growing continually shorter during the progress of the stroke, with the result that.

the leverage of the sub-lever 37 on thelink 54 is continuously diminishing or, expressed the other way around, the leverage of the linkv 54 on the sub-lev'er. iseontinuously in-. creasing. .The real fulcrum of said lever is" the lower wallof the hole 51 through which the lever slides and when the parts are op erated, therefore, the lever has a motion which consists in a turning about its fulcrum and sliding over its fulcrum. It will also be perceived .that the sliding rodor lever 50 and the sublever 37 together constitute a compound lever, bpth. elements of said compound lever' bein levers of the third order and that one of t ese levers turns about its fulcrum 44'as a pivotal center and the other lever turns about and at the same time slides over its fulcrum, the entire system acting with a diminishirg leverage on the type bar. It will, of course, be understood that an antifriction roller may be mounted on the bar 52 for each of the sliding levers if preferred.

The type action herein shown and described may be so proportioned that when any type bar is in normal position against the pad 24,.the type action itself automati cally locks the type bar in its normalposition until the key connected with that type bar is operated so that rebound of the type bar from the pad is positively prevented. 'In case of any'force tending to lift one of the type bars from normal position, as by a tendency to rebound from the pad, said force would be transmitted to the link 54 in a straight line joining the points and 53 and the direction of this line is so nearly at right angles to the sliding lever 50 and so nearly parallel with the sub-lever 37 that the force referred to has little or no tendency to move the sliding lever endwise, but only tends to rock said lever, and said lever is positively prevented from rocking by the nature of its connection with the sub-lever 37 and with the bar 52. The type action is normally in or practically in a dead center positionas far. as motion having its origin in the type bars itself is concerned. This is an additional reason for making the sliding levers 50- which are connected with the shorter type bars, a little longer than those connected with the longer type bars. The point 55 of one of the shorter type bars is farther toward the rear of the machine than the corresponding one of the longer type bars, when it is preferable to arrange the lower end of the link 54 connected to said shorter type bar, nearer to the rear of the machine than the lower end of the link for the longer type bar in order that the former may not be too oblique to the sliding lever 50.

Each of the key stems is formed with a collar 66 which, when the parts are in normal position, is adapted to strike against the under side of a pad 67 of felt or other sound deadening material, which pad is mounted in a casing 68 of sheet metal having ears 69 bent up at intervals beneath the pad to retain the same in place. Each of the casings is made of a strip of sheet metal having the ears 69 formed along the rear edge thereof. The metal is bent down in front of and behind the felt strip to form stiffening flanges 70 and 71 respectively, and the ears 69 are bent back from the flange 71 to hold the feltin place. Perforations 72 are formed through the metal and felt strips for the passage of the key-stems, and said perforations are made large enough .to permit said key-stems to work freely therein. The metal strip and the felt stri may be perforated separately, or the per orations may be made through both felt and metal together after the parts areassembled, as preferred. Each of the ears 69 is situated between two key stems, so that the collars or stops 66 .do not strike the ears but strike the felt between said ears. These arresting bars being built up of felt and metal, are very nonresonant, and no audible sound comes from them in use. Each of the casings 68 has an ear 73 formed at each end thereof by which it is secured to the under sideof the keyboard plate 30, and said casing does not contact with said keyboard plate at any other points, so that no vibrations arecommun'icated from the casings to the keyboard ate. Y p The non-resonant pads for the key stems are not claimed herein but constitute the subject-matter of my Patent No. 942,853,

dated Dec. 7th, 1909 and granted on'an application filed as a division of the present application.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from my invention.

' What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a typewriting machine, a type action comprising a fulcrum and a lever of the third order arranged to turn about and to slide endwise over said fulcrum, and means acting to guide said lever for a sliding and turning motion such that the sliding motion preponderates in the first part of the key stroke and the turning motion preponderates in the last part of said stroke.

2. In a typewriting machine, a type action comprising a fulcrum and a lever of the slide endwise over said fulcrum in such manner that the effective lengths of the lever arms constantlydiminish during the stroke.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a'type bar, a key for actuating said type bar, and connections between said key and type bar comprising a sliding lever of the third order connected with said type bar and means operated by said key for sliding said lever across its fulcrum and turning said lever so that the sliding motion preponderates in the first part of the key stroke and the turning motion preponderates in the last part of said stroke.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a type bar, a key for actuatin said type bar, and connections between sai key and type bar comprising a sub-lever actuated by saidkey, and a sliding lever actuated bysaid sub-lever; the proportions and relative dispositionsof the parts being such that in the first part of the key depression the sliding motion ofsaid sliding B lever preponderates and in the last part of said key depression the turning motion of said lever preponderates. L

5. In a typewriting machine, a type action comprising a compound lever consisting of two levers of the third order, one of .which turnsabout a fixed fulcrum as acenter and the other of which. slides over its fulcrum, the two levers. when in normal position beingapproximately at right angles to each other and at the end of a key depression said leversbeing at a wide oblique angle with each other. I

6. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of two type bars so mount ed that one of them' swings through a greater angle than the other, links connected to said type bars, endwise movable levers of' the third order connected to said links, and -means for actuating said levers, the lever 25 for the type bar. that swings through the greater'langle having its load-arm longer thanthat of the other lever, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combi- 80 nation of a series of type bars, keys for actuating said type bars, and connections between each of said keys and one of said type bars including a lever, a link connecting one end of said lever with said type bar, means for guiding the opposite end of said lever for pivotal and endwise motion, and a sub-lever acting on the first mentioned lever between said link and said guiding means.

8. In. a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, links connected with said type bars and. extending radially therefrom, levers lying approximately horizontally fore and aft ofthe machine and connected with, said links, radially disposed sub-levers acting on said horizontal levers, and keys connected .with said sub-levers.

9. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, radially disposed links connected to said type bars, radially disposed sublevers, endwise movable levers connecting said sub-levers with said links, and keys for operating said sub-levers.

10. In a front strike typewriting machine, the combination'of a series of front-strike type bars, links connected to said type bars, a series of sub-levers, a series of actuating levers connecting said sub-levers with said links, fulcrums for said actuating levers over which said levers are adapted to slide, and keys for operating said sub-levers.

11. In a front-striketypewriting machine,

I the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, links connected to said type bars and extending radially therefrom, levers connected to said links and extendingin -a direction fore-and-aft of the machine and adapted to movesubstantially in the planes of their respective type bars, and keys and connections for operating said levers.

12. In a front-strike typewriting machine, 1

a direction fore-and-aft of the machine, and

keys and connections for impartingto any of said levers an endwise and pivotal motion whereby the corresponding type 5 bar is thrown'to the printing-point wlth an accelerated velocity. Y 1

13. In a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination of a series offr'ont-striketype bars, links connected to-said typebars and extending radiall therefrom, aseries .of endwise-movable levers each connected at its rear end to one of said links .and'extending forward substantially in the plane of the corresponding type bar, a segment having fulcra for said levers, a series of radially disposed pivoted devices 37, each pivoted toone of said endwise movable levers between. the ends thereof, a series of'bell crank keylevers, and links-connecting said radially disposed levers and said key levers.

14. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of a series of type bars comprising a segmentally arranged set of longer type bars and a segmentally arranged set of shorter type bars, the type-bars of one set alternating with those of the other and T the shorter type bars arranged to swing through a greater angle than the longer type bars, radially disposed links connected tothe heels of said type bars, a series-of levers of the third order connected to said links and each adapted to swing substantially in the plane of the corresponding type bar and the levers connected with the shorter type bars having their load-arms longer than those connected with the longer type bars;-

and keys and connections for operating said levers.

spring "being so arranged that said spring acts with about its greatest leverage on sai sub-lever when said key is fully depressed.

116. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a series of type bars, keys for ac tuating said type bars, and connections between each of said keys and one of said type bars including a lever, a link connecting one end of said lever with, said type bar, means for guiding the opposite end of said lever for pivotal and endwise motion, anda sublever acting on the first mentioned lever between said link and said guiding means, the construction and arrangement being such that'when one of the type bars returns to normal position it is locked against rebound.

17. In a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, links connected with saidtype bars and extending radially therefrom, 1e-

'VGIS lying approximately horizontally fore bars, endwise movable levers connected with said links, and pivoted devices 37 connected with said levers.

19. In a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, keys for operating said type bars, and connections between said keys and type bars including links connected to said type I bars, endwisemovable levers connected with said links and pivoted devices 37 connected with said levers, said links, levers and pivoted devices being arranged substantially in the planes of motion of the several type bars and bein so disposed as to lock the type bars agalnst rebound when they return to normal position.

,20. In a front-strike typewritingmachine, the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, printing keys, and connections between said keys and ty e bars comprising links extending radially rom said type bars,

levers lying fore and aftof the machine and connected with said links and pivoted clevices 37 lying substantiallyin the plane of.

motion of the respective type bars.

21. In a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, printing keys, and connections between said keys and type bars comprising links extending radially from said type bars, levers lying fore and aft of'the machine and connected with said links and pivoted devices 37 lying substantially in the plane of: motion of the respective type bars, said links, levers and pivoted devices being so arranged as to lock the type bars against rebound when they return to normal position. 22. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the'combination of a series of front-strike type bars, printing keys, and connections between said keys and type bars including a series of links extending radially from said type bars, a series of radially dlsposed pivoted devices 37 approximately parallel with said links, and a series of beams 50 connected withand'approximately at rightangles to said links and pivoted devices and mounted for endwise and swinging motion. Y

23. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, printing keys, bell crank key levers, links 35 connected to said bell cranks and extending toward the rear of the machine, and devices operated by. said links 35 comprising endwise .movable beams 50 each disposed fore and aft of the machine, pivoted devices 37 connected to said beams and radially disposed links 54 connecting said beams with said type bars.

24. In a'front-strike typewriting machine,-

the combination of a series of front-strike type bars, printing keys, bell crank keylevers, links 35 connected to said bell cranks and extending toward the rear of the machine, and devices operated by said links 35 comprising endwise movable beams 50 each disposed fore and aft of the machine, pivoted devices 37 connected to said beams and radially disposed links 54 connecting said beams with said type bars, said beams, pivoted devices and links being so related as to lock the type bars against rebound when they return to normal position.

Signed at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this'25th day of-Sept. A. D. 1907. 1

JOHN. BXRR' Witnesses E. E. CORY, E. M. S'roRMs. 

